First air strikes target Aleppo during truce

Damascus: Warplanes struck several neighbourhoods of Aleppo on Sunday, the first in the city since a nationwide ceasefire went into effect on last Monday, a monitor group reported.

At least one woman was killed in the air strikes that targeted the rebel-held areas of Sakhour, Karm al-Jabal and Karm al-Baik, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The air strikes were the first in Aleppo, since the city enjoyed a relative calm following the implementation of a US-Russian brokered truce in Syria, Xinhua news agency reported.

Earlier in the day, Syria’s national TV said tens of civilians evacuated the rebel-held areas in Aleppo city, as part of a renewed government call on civilians and armed men to leave the besieged rebel-held areas in Aleppo.

The US-Russian ceasefire deal is threatened with a recent escalation between Washington and Moscow, after the US-led air strikes killed 90 Syrian soldiers in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour, the first US strike to target government forces since the coalition started operations in Syria in late 2014.